Jaguars re-sign Naeole

Six months after being cut, the veteran guard returns to Jacksonville.

Vito Stellino

Chris Naeole returned home Wednesday.

"It's like an old shirt, an old pair of pants, you fit right in," the veteran right guard said after re-signing with the Jaguars six months after they cut him on March 3.

There were whispers that Naeole's career was over when he suffered a devastating quad injury in New Orleans last Nov. 4. But after surgery and months of rehabilitation at the Andrews Institute in Pensacola, he was cleared by doctors last Friday to play football again.

The Jaguars are short of offensive linemen after losing both starting guards, Vince Manuwai and Maurice Williams, to injuries.

Although Naeole won't play Sunday at Indianapolis, he said he's picking up where he left off before the injury.

"I still know everything," he said. "I know all the calls. It's nothing new. It's just a matter of getting confidence in my [left] leg and getting ready to go."

Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio didn't give a specific timetable for getting Naeole back on the field. But he did announce that center Brad Meester, who suffered a biceps injury in training camp, had the pads back on Wednesday.

The team announced in its injury report that Meester and Naeole were limited in practice.

Naeole, who said, "I tore the quad off my [left] knee," has an ugly vertical scar several inches long. Despite the skeptics, Naeole never doubted he'd be back.

Naeole, in his 12th NFL season, is noted for being a durable player. Until his injury, he had started all 87 games he played in for the Jaguars after signing with them as a free agent in 2002.

"Some people thought, 'He's done. He's not coming back,'" Naeole said. "[It gave him] a little more ammunition to get back."

Naeole also said he had no animosity toward the Jaguars for cutting him.

A year ago, when he made a base salary of $1.8 million, he skipped the voluntary portion of the offseason program in an unsuccessful attempt to receive a new deal. This time, he had no problem signing for the veteran minimum of $830,000, minus the paychecks for the first two games.

"You know it's a business, and you've got to put things aside," he said. "There's no grudge. That's just the way things go."

Naeole said several other teams called him, but he decided to return to the Jaguars and received a warm welcome from his teammates.

"There are a lot of friendly faces, so it's been nice," he said.

Left tackle Khalif Barnes said: "I love Naeole. He's a good warrior for us. He brings that tough tenacity, that veteran style."

"I think it's great," quarterback David Garrard said of Naeole's return to the Jaguars. "If he can be back to 90 or any kind of percent, then I think he'll be a great addition."

Del Rio said the Jaguars will give Naeole time, the same way they did with Todd Wade and Charles Spencer, two other offensive linemen who were rehabbing when they signed. Both practiced Wednesday.

"There's an opportunity to get a guy into the fold, get a guy here and begin to approach that day when we'll be able to utilize him," Del Rio said.

Del Rio said the advantage for Naeole is he won't need a big learning curve.

"He has the knowledge of our system, so it will be seamless from that standpoint," Del Rio said. "It's really just a matter of just getting him physically up to speed where he's comfortable, conditioned and ready to roll."